Weekend Weapons…Solomun

Weekend Weapons…Solomun

30 November, 2009 | 5.46AM

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: diynamic, solomun

Solomun is one of Bosnia’s most successful electronic music artists. His wide-reaching releases on labels such as Four:Twenty, Dessous, Liebe Detail, Compost, and his own Diynamic imprint in Hamburg, have helped push the new tech house movement forwards, and make him one of the underground’s most respected players.

Mladen Solomun founded Diynamic in late 2005 with Adriano Trolio, and from the very beginning their label experimented with new European house sounds.

They were one of the first German labels to break out of the minimal template, by melding classical instruments with house rhythms in a fun and fruity way. Violins, choral vocals, piano grooves, organs - Diynamic created a sample orgy of house tracks that immediately captured the attention of dancefloors, which were yearning for funk after years of monotone machine bleeps.

It has been a long time coming, but now Solomun has finally released his debut album ‘Dance Baby’, a soul and disco flavoured house long player aimed squarely at DJs. With some of his album tracks like ‘Hypnotize’, ‘After Rain Comes Sun’, and ‘Deja-Vu’ blowing up in the clubs, we asked Solomun for eight of his current Weekend Weapons.

Mic Newman ‘Scum Electronic’ [Dirt Crew]

This isn’t a “best of” order, but I think I will start with Mic Newman. This track have a fantastic tribal house deepness with a touch of jungle feeling, which isn’t too overpowering. Later, in the middle part comes a cool Rhodes melody, but only up to the half of the break. Tricky!

For me, this is the best track from the Dirt Crew compilation, which is one of the label’s best releases from the past three years.

Kollektiv Turmstrasse ‘Last Day’ [Diynamic]

I love this piece of music. The guys have been playing the track towards the end of their sets for months now but I’ve had the pleasure of dropping it for a few weeks too. What an enjoyment it is to see happy faces on the dancefloor.

I also play it towards the end of my set, not too late but in the last section, and when I see people’s reactions, it’s like they are head over heel in love with it. Good vibrations and another excellent piece of music from these boys.

Argenis Brito & Miguel Toro ‘Black Shoes’ [Mobilee]

Funky, deep stuff with a forward thinking mix of different spooky elements. The bass pulsates as whispered and fragmented voices play on top and murmur in the background, which suggests a kind of lightness but the funky bassline holds it all together. I like it!

Silicone Soul ‘Language of the Soul’ (Nivek Tsoy Remix) [Soma]

This is the perfect warm up track. It has a simple easy groove and later when the chords comes in, it gets beautiful.

It has a fantastic lightness and easiness. There are not so many elements in it, but it’s never boring.

If the track was about 20 minutes long you wouldn’t get the same feeling, it’d be quite boring - it’s one of these songs.

Keep it simple, make it simple: the easy ones are the good ones.

Luna City Express ‘Diamonds & Pearls’ [Moon Harbour]

Yes yes yes. This is a beautiful melodic piece of house with a funky Rhodes hookline. The right mix of deepness and Rhodes melody make for a dangerous combination.

I play this track a lot- it has just the right dose of funk, jazz and sexiness that I like. It’s modern house with an old school feeling.

Solomun ‘Deep Circus’ [Diynamic]

It’s always strange feeling to push one’s own stuff, but in this case I want to take this chance to introduce my track ‘Deep Circus’ for those who don’t know it.

It’s not easy to choose one track off an album but in the last few weeks I’ve had so much fun with this track, perhaps due to the fact I’ve had a cool flow of tracks for before and after it!

When I move more towards the peak of my sets, I try to create a deep, funky but pushing feeling on the dancefloor, and ‘Deep Circus’ is perfect for those moments. You have to try it.

Renato Cohen, Marku Ribas, Technasia ‘Cosmic Man’ [Sino]

This is great, and pretty crazy. H.O.S.H. and me have played this piece of madness for months, and we’re both in love with it.

It’s funky, deep, and groovy with some surprising disco samples in the break and these crazy male vocals. I don’t understand the language, but this is one of the reasons for why it’s so special.

I’m not sure why this track has gone under the radar so far - I love it and it’s also in my top ten of 2009.

Youandewan ‘1988’ [Aenaria Music]

This is a piece of music where you can close your eyes and start to dream.

It’s a deep, spacey trip with a beautiful piano hook and an easy arrangement, which lives just off the piano line. It’s very atmospheric and in the morning hours it works beautifully.

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